Former champion Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the India Open 2026 after defeating Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in straight games at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
Relying on solid defence and smart variation, Sen recovered from a slow start to win 21-19, 21-11. India, however, suffered setbacks as Kidambi Srikanth lost to France’s Christo Popov, while HS Prannoy went down fighting against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew.
In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod exited after a straight-game loss to China’s Han Yue, ending India’s campaign in the category.